IMPHAL, Sept 2: Committee on Mass Protest Against Assam
Rifles, a conglomerate of various Meira Paibis (women torch
bearers) groups on Friday announced launching of ‘civil
disobedience movement’ with effect from Friday.
While announcing the stir, members of the conglomerate
alleged that the governments both at the Centre and the state
have failed to listen to the voices of the people to end the
prevailing crisis in Manipur.
The announcement was made during a congregation of a large
number of womenfolk of various Meira Paibis groups from
different parts of the state at Uripok in Imphal West today.
Talking to reporters, spokesperson of the Committee on Mass
Protest Against Assam Rifles, Sharmila Naosekpam said the
committee has decided to launch the civil disobedience
movement against the government.
She said that since the state government and the Central
government have failed to listen to the voices of the people,
the committee has no other option but to launch the
disobedience movement.
Even after nearly four months of violence, the government did
nothing to resolve the crisis. The government has disregarded
the Constitution of the country, she alleged.
She also said that Manipur has been in turmoil for the last four
months, claiming many precious lives and injuring hundreds
apart from displacing thousands of them after houses were
torched.
The convening of the state Assembly session for just 11 minutes
was only for the name shake to save the government and not in
the interest of the people, she also said.
The people expected the session to come up with a concrete
resolution to end the crisis and restore peace and normalcy in
the state, Sharmila added.
However, contrary to the people’s expectation, the most
awaited Assembly session lasted only for only minutes, that
too, without deliberating the ongoing crisis in the state, she
lamented.
As both the Central and the state governments have failed to
protect the sanctity of the Constitution, there is no need for the
people to abide by the laws, she said.
Sharmila further said that during the civil disobedience
movement, they will boycott the Central security forces
distributing relief materials at the relief camps opened for the
people displaced by the ongoing crisis.
She further called upon all the government employees of both
state and Central government to abstain from attending their
offices with immediate effect while announcing that all
government related works will be boycotted during the
indefinite stir, Sharmila said.
She, however, added that employees of the essential service
categories like media, electricity, water supply, medical, solid
waste management, etc. will not be covered by the stir.
Another spokesperson of the committee, Jenifer Devi
questioned the purpose of deploying Central forces in the state.
Even though they are deployed for the protection of lives and
properties of the people, they did nothing to check violence
unfolding in the state, she alleged. (NNN)
